Midweek madness

After a couple of well-earned days off in Halifax, we're back with a ton of stuff.

• Last night the new Canadian Olympic uniforms were unveiled (photo). The venerable Hudson's Bay Company, Canada's first-ever corporate entity, upstaged Roots for the contract back in March – for a deal extending right through Vancouver 2010 – and the Torino 2006 designs have now received their big splash.

Relax... this is non-competition outerwear... not the on-ice gear our curling teams will wear. Those will be supplied by Mondetta... and more on that in the near future.

The Curling News got a first look at the designs in an April 2005 focus group, and the athletes present were impressed. Ditto for Georgina Wheatcroft of Vancou... er, Winnipeg... who said she was "hugely and pleasantly surprised."

"All of us going in there were kinda going 'Okay, we are going from Roots to HBC.' You're a bit, 'Oh it doesn't seem as cool,' and we were all a bit frightened."

Read some journo-takes on the gear here and here. Of course, the famous poor-boy hat is gone... but that was to be expected.

• There's still a buzz over Kevin Martin's big shot at The National last Friday. In today's Edmonton Journal (sub only), victim John Morris offers this:

"I really don't think he was going for two when he threw it. There was so much granite moving, I could barely follow it. Obviously, it was a killer. I don't think it was a fluke; when Kevin's involved, it's not a fluke."

• The calendar? Oh yes, it's still selling. And over the weekend out east, they finally called. Yes, it was them. And we didn't call or e-mail them... they tracked us down. Apparently there will be a blurb and photo in next week's issue. Better go print some more.

As for calendar media, there's too much out there to track, but some highlights include this guy from down south, who can't resist curling commentary that borders on the ridiculous. Stand by for Black Lab Five, aka The Curling Show, to blow his top.

There's also this from the U.K., which also manages to discuss Great Britain's controversial team selection process for Torino 2006 in the same story.

• And speaking of the Brits – of course they're the Scots, but in the Olympics they must compete for the Brits – they now have a magic broom, or something like that. Fascinating.

• Back to that Oliver guy for a second. Or specifically, other Americans who make us laugh when they try to talk about curling. Here's the most hilarious description of the sport seen in a long time. Oh, and the team they're talking about is from London, Ontario – not Vancouver. And here's an amusing story about Brock students going one up on their Yankee trivia opponents whenever the sliding sport comes up. Not surprising.

• Finally, everybody's favourite movie star curler is finally getting his ultimate pet project up and running – and congratulations to him. Of course, those who still wonder about an MWB sequel will have to keep waiting and hoping...